The early drills in Scouting Tactics had left half the class winded and the other half bruised—physically or in pride. As Aston wiped a streak of dirt off his sleeve, he followed Seria and Rowan across the eastward arch into Recon Wing B, where SAD-101 was held.

The transition from the forested simulation grounds to the sleek, high-ceilinged recon lab was stark. Clean lines, glass-paneled maps, and glowing beast projection terminals lined the space like military installations rather than classrooms.

At the front, standing ramrod straight in a grayish uniform, was Instructor Ilyen Vey. Her eyes scanned the incoming students like a hawk analyzing targets—not a hint of lenience in her bearing.

"Take your seats. Now," she said, voice clipped but clear.

The class complied in silence. Gray peeked curiously from Aston's shoulder, but the boy gave him a quiet tap. Not yet.

Instructor Ilyen activated a crystalline interface, and three-dimensional projections of various spirit beasts appeared above the main table—a snake that rippled through walls, a small hound with luminous nostrils, a bird with a vanishing silhouette.

"Spirit Beast Integration for Recon is not about cuteness or companionship," she began. "It is about precision. Surveillance. Infiltration. Information. This class will train you to align your beast's strength with field intelligence requirements.

She gestured towards the snake. "This is a Phantom Spire Adder. Ideal for subterranean scans. Can anyone tell me what its weaknesses are?"

A hand was raised. A scholarly student stood up. "Temperature fluctuation and magnetic fields. Both scramble its sensory pulse." He sat down after answering.

Instructor Ilyen nodded once. "Correct."

She moved to the hound. "Light Sensing Labrador. Limitations?"

Seria raised her hand and answered, "They are susceptible to flash disruption and light-distortion fields."

Aston listened intently. Nova annotated every beast's traits, weaknesses, and environmental synergy.

The instructor faced the class after explaining a couple of beasts. "Today's exercise will pair students for beast-assisted scanning. You'll be judged on three metrics: response time, coordination, and clarity of relay. Pair up. Now."

The class stirred, a mix of excitement and apprehension filling the air. Aston glanced around. Most students were already gravitating towards familiar faces. Seria had paired with Rowan, their quiet understanding evident in their swift agreement.

His gaze fell upon a familiar girl—the one Seria partnered up during the tactics class. She had dark, intelligent eyes and a focused expression, her fingers lightly tracing the intricate patterns on the sleeve of her uniform.

Taking a breath, Aston walked over. "Excuse me," he began, his voice a little rough. "Do you have a partner yet?"

The girl looked up, her gaze direct. "Not yet."

"Would you want to pair up?"

A small, almost imperceptible smile touched her lips. "I would. My name is Lyra Yves. And my partner, Chill." She pointed towards her companion—a lynx-like spirit beast with dark blue fur.

—

[Spirit Beast: Frost Treading Lynx]

[Type: Bestial]

[Attribute: Ice]

[Genus: Lynx]

[Rank: 2-star]

[Potential: 9-star]

[Description: A swift and agile beast of the frozen wilds. Its paws possess the unique ability to tread on the thinnest ice and snow without sinking. Renowned for its exceptional tracking skills and keen senses.]

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[Skills:]

[Ice Dart Volley: Rapidly fires a volley of ice darts with pinpoint accuracy. Each dart is capable of causing frostbite and slowing the target.]

[Next skill will be unlocked at 3-star]

[Passive Skills:]

[Frozen Footfall: The Frost Treading Lynx moves with exceptional stealth in snowy or icy environments, muffling its footsteps and minimizing its presence. Its senses are heightened in cold climates.]

[Innate Skills:]

[Winter's Guise: Its fur can change color to match snowy or rocky terrain, providing superior camouflage. It also enhances the owner's cold resistance and perception in frigid conditions.]

[Next skill will be unlocked at 5-star]

—

"Aston Rhyner," he said. "And this is Gray and Mirage." He gestured to the kitten and the owl above.

"I know. You were praised by the instructor a while ago," Lyra said sheepishly. "Is that a Linear Shadow Panther? What a cute kitty!"

Linear Shadow Panther?

[The current form of Gray visually fits the young form of a Linear Shadow Panther.]

Well, I guess we'll call you that for now on.

Instructor Ilyen's voice cut through the murmuring. "Partnerships should be formed now. Each pair will proceed to one of the designated scanning zones marked on the holographic map. Your task is to utilize one of the projected spirit beasts to conduct a scan of your assigned area and relay any anomalies you detect. Pick a card from the box and trade it with the staff outside with your selected beast. I want all the cards returned after class, am I clear?"

She placed a box in front of the center table. Half-opened, it showed laminated cards the size of a palm. Each pair went forward and got a card.

The holographic map above the central table shimmered, dividing the simulated forest into numbered zones. Aston and Lyra located and chose the unoccupied Zone Seven.

"Which beast do you think would be best?" Aston asked, turning to Lyra.

Lyra's gaze flickered back to the projections. "For Zone Seven… it's a relatively open area with some dense undergrowth. The Phantom Spire Adder is out, obviously. The Light Sensing Labrador could work, but its visual reliance might be hampered by the foliage. What about the Whisperwing Finch?" She pointed to the bird projection with the vanishing silhouette. "It's described as having exceptional aerial surveillance capabilities and a near-silent flight."

"And its weakness was… sonic disruption?" Aston recalled.

"Correct," Lyra said. "But in an open environment like Zone Seven, that's less of a concern than visual obstructions for the Labrador.

"Good point," Aston agreed, "Let's go with the finch."

As they moved outside, they handed the card to the staff and selected the Whisperwing Finch.

A few moments later, a different staff member handed them a cage with a tiny bird inside. The staff member informed them, "That is a well-trained spirit beast from one of our nurseries. Please handle it with care."

Aston and Lyra looked at the white-and-red finch inside the cage, tweeting merrily inside it.

—

[Spirit Beast: Whisperwing Finch]

[Type: Avian]

[Attribute: Wind]

[Genus: Carduelis]

[Rank: 5-star]

[Potential: 9-star]

[Description: An elusive avian spirit beast known for its exceptional stealth and aerial reconnaissance capabilities. Its feathers possess unique light-refracting properties, granting it near-perfect camouflage in various environments.]

[Skills:]

[Silent Strike: Executes a rapid, silent dive, striking with sharpened talons. The impact follows a burst of wind energy that disrupts the target's senses.]

[Wind Echolocation: Emits a high-frequency wind pulse that bounces off surfaces, creating a detailed three-dimensional map of the surrounding area and shares it with its allies. It also pieces through illusions and detects hidden entities.]

[Aerial Decoy: Generates multiple wind clones of itself, confusing enemies and masking its true location. These clones can also perform reconnaissance over a limited area.]

[Next skill will be unlocked at 7-star]

[Passive Skills:]

[Adaptive Camouflage: Its feathers dynamically adjust their color and texture to match its surroundings, enhancing its stealth capabilities in any environment.]

[Innate Skills:]

[Whisperwing Flight: Achieves near-silent flight, leaving no sound signature. This ability is further enhanced at higher ranks, making it virtually undetectable by auditory means.]

[Passerine Senses: Develops an innate sense of its position and the position of objects within a certain radius, granting it exceptional navigational skills and the ability to avoid traps and ambushes.]

[Next skill will be unlocked at 9-star]

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